Gate-latch.



I. P. SMITH.

GATE LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 25| 1915- 1,241,671.. Patented Oct. 2,1917.

UNITED sTaTns PATENT oriuon ISAAC PHILIP SMITH, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR TO SELF CLOSING GATE (10., OF LOWPOINT, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATION.

GATE-LATCH.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

Application filed February 25, 1916. Serial No. 80,338.

0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Isaac Pnimr SMITH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Latches, ofwhich the following is a clear and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to a latch mechanism primarily intended for use ongates which are ordinarily constructed of strips of wood bound togetherat their free ends and hinged ends by strips of metal and suitablybraced; these gates being generally known as farm gates.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficientmechanism for securely holding a gate in its closed position, while atthe same time permitting it to be easily operated.

A further object of my invention is to provide a latch mechanism whichcan be easily attached to the gate structure.

A further object of my invention is to provide a latch mechanism whichcan be adjusted on the gate structure so as to properly position thelatch or forked member with relation, to its keeper which is secured tothe gate post.

A further object of my invention is to provide a latch structurewherein, when the gate has been opened, the forked member will retainits proper position for the closing of the gate and cannot beaccidentally disturbed from that position.

Other objects of my invention and advantages to be derived therefromwill appear and be described as the specification proceeds.

The novelty of my invention will be hereinafter more fully set forth andspecifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of part of a gate with my improved latch inposition thereon.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the latch mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fi 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the keeper.

F ig. 5 is a plan view of the body of the latch mechanism showing amodification in the meansfor mounting the same on the gate structurewhere no opening is provided in the metal strips of the gate for thereception of a clamping-bolt.

The same numerals of reference are used to indicate identical parts inall the figures.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be observed that I have shown the free endof an ordinary farm gate in which 1 represents the wood strips orboards, of which there may be any number according to the require mentsof any particular service, these strips being secured together at theirends by vertical metal bars 2, there being one of these bars on eachside of the boards, the bars being secured thereto by the bolts 3,passing through both bars and the strips or boards.

The latch structure consists of a body portion l, which is of a widthequal to the thickness of the boards 1, and is provided with the slottedopening 5, through which, when the latch mechanism is properlypositioned on the gate structure, the clamping-bolt 6, passes to securethe latch mechanism in place.

It is well known that gate posts and fence posts change their positionsfrequently owing to the moving action of the freezing earth or thesoftening action of moisture, and it will be observed that the latchbody 41, may he slid into or out of any given position on the gatestructure by simply loosening the clamping-bolt (S, and then shiftingthe position of the latch mechanism to bring the forked member 7 intoproper relation with the keeper 8 which latter is secured to the )ost 9.

The swinging fork 7, is suitably journaled in the end of the body l, andas shown in Fig. 2, is provided on its under face with stops 10, one ofwhich is shown, the other of which is directly opposite the one shown,and these stops serve, by coming in contact with the body, to limit themovement of the fork in either direction.

A tension device '11, which in its preferred form consists of a blade ofspring steel, is mounted within the body t by being-passed under thecross piece 24: and resting upon the cross piece 25 in such manner thatit exerts a downward pressure at its free end near the pivotal point ofthe swinging fork 7, and this tension device bears against the swingingfork 7, in which detents 12 consisting of the cut out portions of theupper hub of the fork 7 are provided for the reception of the tensiondevice when the fork 7 is in any other than extreme position on eitherside of thecenter, the tension device, while bearing against the hub ofthe fork, does not resist or interfere with its movement to anyappreciable extent.

It will be observed by referring to Fig. 3, that the swinging fork iscut out at 13,

forming two shoulders or abutments 14:,

which co-act with the downward extensions 15, of the fingers 16, therebeing one of these fingers on each side of the body 4:. The fingers 16,normally rest against the top surface of the body 4:, extend to the rearthereof and are suitably pivoted thereto as at 17, and are furtherprovided with han dles or extensions 18, preferably perforated as at 19.

The mounting of these fingers 16, is such that they are operatedmanually to permit the gate to be opened and operated by gravity to lockthe gate when the latter is closed. The ends of the downward extensions15 of the fingers 16'are provided with rearwardly extending portions 20,and the body lis provided with projections 21, between the upper andlower of which the extension 20 moves when the fingers 16 are operated,the projections 21 thus becoming stops to limit the travel of thefingers 16. The projections 21 in addition to limiting the movement ofthe fingers prevent the body 4 from being moved to too great an extentinward between the vertical bars 2, and thereby prevent contact of thebars 2 with the fingers 16, which would prevent the operation of thefingers.

It will be observed that the fingers 16 are provided with upstandingperforated lugs 22, the purpose of which is to serve as means ofconnection to operate the latch from above through suitable rods orchains or in case it is desired to use two latches on a gate ofextraordinary height, the two may be connected together for simultaneousoperation by having a chain or wire secured either'through the openings22 of the fingers 16 of both upper and lower latches, or throughperforations 19, so that when one finger of the upper latch is operated,the corresponding finger of the lower latch will operate simultaneouslyto permit the gate to beopened.

Again the openings 19 may be employed for the simultaneous operation ofmore than one latch or for operation of the latch from a distance. 1

The modification shown in Fig. 5 consists in the provision of suitableclamps 23 apertured for the reception of .thelclampingbolti6 by means.of which and the clamps the latch body may be properly mounted on agatestructure wherein no opening is provided for the clamping-bolt, and itis obvious that the clamps 23 may be varied as to, form to permit of theproper mounting of the latch body between angle irons, fiat bars orother pieces 2 constituting a part-of the gate structure. r 4 In Fig. 4I have shown a castmetal keeper adapted to be suitably secured to asquare fence post or a post with a flattened portion thoughtheform ofthe keeper may be varied to suit a variety of conditions.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim,

, ..1. In a gate-latch, the combinationvof a gate structure comprisingin part a pair' of vertical metal bars at the free end thereof, a latchbody provided with a slotted opening and mounted-on said gate structureand between said bars, a clamping-bolt passing through said bars and theslotted opening of said latch-body whereby when thejtension of saidclamping-bolt is relieved said latch-body may be adjustedwithrelation tosaid gate-structure, stops carried by said body to limit its adjustmentin one direction, a swinging fork mounted on said body,

a pair of fingers mounted on saidbody and extended to said swinging forkwhereby said fork may be locked against movement 19) or when either ofsaid fingers isoperated said fork may be swung in one direction", and akeeper attached to a gate-post adja cent said gate-structure and adaptedto be engaged by said swinging-fork, 19

2. In a gate-latch,-a latch-body,a swinging-fork mounted thereon, apairofstops on said fork and adapted to limit the movenient of saidfork,a tension device for holding said fork when the latter is swung outof 11 its locked position, a pair of fingers pivoted to said latch-bodyand extending to and adapted to engage said swinging fork to preventmovement thereof, means for causing the disengagement of said fingersfrom vsaid l fork, and means foradjustably mounting said latch-structureon a gate;

3. In a gate-latch, a body-structure provided withmeans for mountingaswinging fork, a swinging .fork mounted within said W means, a tensiondevice mounted within said body and having contact with said fork andadapted to retain said fork in either of its swung positions, stops onsaid fork to limit the swing thereof, pivotedfingers mounted 1:3 uponsaid body and operated in one direction by gravity to lock said forkagainst swinging, and means 'for raising the locking ends of saidfingers, v. i

4. In agate-latch, an adjustable latchbody, a swinging fork mounted insaid body,

tension device for said swinging fork, fingers pivotally mounted on saidbody and extended to engage said swinging fork to prevent movementthereof, stops on said body to limit the movement of said fingers, saidstops also serving to limit the inward movement of said gate-latch whenthe same is adjustably mounted on a gate.

5. In a gate-latch, a hollow body structure, cross-bars connecting theopposite sides thereof, a swinging fork mounted therein, a tensiondevice bearing against said swinging fork to retain the same in eitherof its swung positions said tension device lying within said bodystructure and being supported by said cross-bars, and means for lockingand unlocking said swinging fork.

6. In a gate-latch, a hollow body structure, a slotted openingtherethrough adapted to receive a clamping-bolt whereby said bodystructure may be adjustably mounted on a gate, a swinging fork mountedon said body structure, stops on said fork to limit the movementthereof, a tension device mounted within said body structure and bearingagainst said swinging fork, detents in said swinging fork co-acting withsaid tension device to retain said fork in either of its swungpositions, locking and releasing fingers operatively mounted on saidbody and extended to engage said fork to lock the same in one positionand adapted to be disengaged therefrom to release said fork and meanswhereby said fingers may be operated.

' ISAAC PHILIP SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patenta. Washington, D. 0."

